The Mill

I awoke the next morning a nervous wreck. What on earth was I doing here? I had just left all my friends, was living with my sister, and was about to start a job I knew nothing about. I had not sought this out and I felt like I was out of control. There were a number of things that kept me there that morning, but only barely. I felt I would be letting someone down if I left. That was not in my nature. It would be like going back on my word. I had said goodbye back home, and there had many well wishes that would seem a little ridiculous if suddenly the next day I came back. I had to save face. But the biggest reason for staying is that I had no money to go back home.
The new, stiff, leather, steel toed shoes were very heavy that morning as I trudged across the bridge that separated the town from the mill. I was starting on a day shift so I could meet my superiors and they could orientate and train me. Management (the bosses) were only ever there during the day shift. I would come to really appreciate this later as I found some real advantages to working 'shifts'.
I followed the signs to the "Technical Control Department" and there found Sid waiting for me. We met for the first time but he seemed to know quite a bit about me. Oh yes, I recalled, he knew me from my brother-in-law's description and from all the paperwork I had to fill out. He was friendly and his calmness reassured me. He took me on a quick tour of the mill with an emphasis on showing me the roll that 'our department' played in the grand scheme of making pulp and paper. If I had been intimidated by the exterior appearance of this huge ancient structure, it was nothing compared to my tour of the interior. What I saw in both the workings of the mill and the people I saw scurrying about, made my imagination go into overdrive as I wracked my brain for a way to get enough money for a ticket back home, yes, even if it had to be on that cursed Gruman Goose!